There are only a few modern books which have enjoyed the cult status
that was achieved by “The Godfather” immediately after it was published
in 1969. As soon as it was published Mario Puzo’s novel The Godfather
began setting sales records, becoming the fastest selling book up to its
time. Its enormous popularity increased in 1972 when Francis Ford
Coppola’s movie version was released. The movie won several Academy
Awards, and became one of the highest-grossing movies of all time and is
frequently cited by critics as one of the greatest American movies ever
made The novel has since then consistently stayed in print and has sold
over 30 million copies worldwide.
The Godfather tells the enchanting story of the Corleone family,
headed by Vito Corleone, they are the ruling mafia family of New York
City. He is respectfully called the Godfather by the people who love
him. The family comprises his three sons namely Sonny, Freddie and Mike.
Sonny is the heir apparent for his father’s throne while Freddie is a
little simple minded so he isn’t too involved in the family business
while initially Mike is completely outside of the family business as he
is in the army but he must join it later due to overbearing
circumstances. There starts a cold war between the Corleone family and a
rival family called the Tattaglia family. While Vito is looking to
legitimize his empire, in comes Sollozzo who wants set up his drug
dealing business in their region. The Godfather refuses and so begins a
war between Sollozzo who is backed by the Tattaglia family and the
Corleones.
The novel shows the intricacies of any large criminal organization
and plus some of the inner workings in Hollywood and Las Vegas. This
book helped define how the world views organized crime in America,
framing the aspects of greed and violence that are inherent in the
underworld with an emphasis on family, respect, and honour. It has
managed to add a new paradigm in modern fiction writing. The character
of Vito Corleone, the Godfather, has been compared to Huckleberry Finn
and Holden Caulfield as an archetype, a personality so true to the
American experience that, though fictional, he seems familiar to
everyone. Far beyond being just another crime novel, The Godfather
relates to all stories of immigrant families who are trying, over the
course of generations, to fit into the mainstream of American life.
Everything about the book seems to have an aura of its own. Dialogues
like “I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse”, have attained cult
status and there are many instances of references to the book in popular
culture. What the book has very beautifully managed to show is that
how, even in the hardest of times and in the most unpleasant of
surroundings there are some men, who tread the path less travelled, and
who have it in them to turn over the situation in their way. The book is
an enthralling read because of the honest human emotions displayed by
the author, and also because of the sense of genuineness’ in the story.
I would recommend the book to everyone who has watched the movie,
simply because it is hardly possible to show in a 2.5 hour movie what
the author had in his mind while writing the book. For those who have
neither watched the movie, nor read the book is definitely missing
something. Read the book, enjoy it and then watch the movie to re-enjoy
the book! The action is fast paced through most of the book with
elements from romance to action, from family drama to crime intermixed
in a very wonderful manner.
A full thumps up to this one!!
Title: The Godfather
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Arrow Books Ltd; New edition edition (21 Feb 1991)
Language: English
Paperback: 446 pages
ISBN-10: 0099429284
ISBN-13: 978-0099429289
Rating: 4/5
[This review was published here.]
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